Compared to the original 3DO version, the Saturn version is such a massive downgrade. Sure, menu graphics on a majority of Saturn games look simplistic and cheesy nowadays, but it would have been nice to have a 1-to-1 translation of the menu UI. At the very least this game plays pretty well, the music is relaxing, and the transitions between gold course sections are pleasing enough. It still has Craig Stadler's goofy portrait narrating your journey and it's always fun to see the other FMV characters with their silly golf get-ups. As a golf game it's primitive-looking but I can see the charm.

US Saturn Release #005 - Pebble Beach Golf Links

Played on a real American Sega Saturn with the Fenrir ODE

Not a sports guy. If you're looking at the lower score and questioning it, it's because this is not my kind of thing, not that this is a bad golf game. From the little I played today, I can confidently say that there's plenty here to get attached to if you're a big golf guy. It's also relatively inviting for beginners like myself, so it's easy to jump into.

My only major critique is that this game is very unattractive visuals-wise. I'm certain the Saturn can produce better visuals for a golf game than this. Maybe this also being a 3DO game means that they tried to directly port visuals and gameplay to the Saturn to cut down on time, but I haven't looked at 3DO footage so I don't know.

I will say, the most entertaining part was the cutscenes/FMVs. If you have an ODE or a computer that can run Saturn emulation well, I recommend grabbing a ROM of this and just watching them. It's really entertaining.

So if you're into golf, I say give it a shot. If you're like me and don't really gravitate towards sports titles often, it's reasonable to skip. My score likely will not reflect your score, so give it a go if it really interests you.

5/10